Evinta

As I seem to be cravenly posting plagiarised lyrics, albeit artfully rearranged, I will continue to do so. A little bit.

Evinta is an album by My Dying Bride, and is a slight departure from the sound of their other albums. I consider it quite the masterpiece, and a step ahead of anything else they have done. I happily listen to the whole thing on repeat, sometimes while sleeping. It possesses beauty and musical finesse, and I'm a huge fan of the use of violin in modern music (as I don't get to play it as much as I'd like).

And, of course, the words. They are practically poetry. So I've arranged some of my favourite lyrics from the album into a slow poem, with a degree of thematic narrative. It is designed to be read aloud to the final track on the album, A Hand of Awful Rewards, which is instrumental.

All great children
Build altars
I have no love
To give you

You are not the one who loves me
I take you from your bathing

Oh, and the moon
Plain in your eyes

Wishes drop through the air
And rip into the fall
Crowned with blazing leaves her hair
And flesh,
Limb and whole

The shade upon your face
Of lilies bent with tears

Black was I, yet bent to it;
God and I had shown them

And the stone that lets you drown
You are not worth stopping for

You are sweet and fine to listen to!
Long tresses about your neck,
Yet much is false
This mighty evening,
I've seen no face
This is crushing me
My quill it aches

Trees dance and fail
Tell them I came

Viens, il est temps de partir
Je vais regretter ta haine
Ta vainte triomphante
Fera sa reverence

I just caught a glimpse of your summer skin
As you slipped away
As I look at them
And know what my hands have done

There! My prints in the snow
The wind and me alone
And then you go

And within it your embrace
Long given away the chase
Away flees grace

And then you go

Can a mouse be modest?

I'm not sure that mice have ever had a reason to develop societal taboos or dream up the concept of modesty, so I'd say that the answer is currently no - although who knows what the future may bring?

However, this is far from being the point of the post. The subject is a band called Modest Mouse, who I happen to think are really very good. I've been listening to them for a couple of years and they've been listened to on many a mountain, along many a street and in many a wild dancing moment. To put it insensitively, they've grown on me like cancer.

I will not go on about them overlong, as other people will have put more effort into describing their value. But I have taken some of my favourite lyrics from some of my favourite songs by them, and I've hammered them together as if they were one - for some reason I really enjoy doing this. If you actually know the songs well this may jar a little... Here.

I wasn't always cargo -
I was once kind of my own!
I guess I'll pack up my mind...

Who the hell made you the boss?
We placed our chips in all the right spots,
But still lost.
Any shithead who had ever walked
Could take the ship and do a much finer job.
This fit like clothes made out of wasps!
Aw, fuck it I guess I lost...

Well, it would've been, could've been worse than you would ever know,
Oh, the dashboard melted, but we still have the radio.

Evil home stereo...
What good songs do you know?
Evil me, oh yeah I know.
What good curves can you throw?

You were laying on the carpet.
like you're satin in a coffin,
You said, "Do you believe what you're sayin'?"
Yeah right now, but not that often!

Well all that icing and all that cake,
I can't make it to your wedding,
but I'm sure I'll be at your wake.
You were talk, talk, talk, talkin' in circles that day,
when you get to the point make sure that I'm still awake, OK?

I could buy myself a reason,
I could sell myself a job,
I could hang myself on treason,
Oh I am my own damn god!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Deep water, deep water,
Senseless denial...
I went down like a rag doll as you would, child!
Deep water, deep water,
Senseless denial...
I went down like a rag doll rat of a child!

I took a trip to the exact same spot.
We pulled the trigger, but we forgot to cock
And every single shot...

Aw, fuck it I guess we lost.




And while I'm at it, look at this.
Video for 'King Rat'

This is one of their songs, and as far as I can tell the lyrics and video are only slightly related. Nevertheless, the band still deserves full points for the coolness of the video, it's message, style and atmosphere. As does Heath Ledger, interestingly.